Historical information

A delightfully framed shot of the Botanical Gardens in the mid to late 1950s. We can be reasonably sure of the date of this image because it shows the Keel House conservatory. Designed and fabricated in England, it was then re-assembled in the Ballarat Gardens in 1906. It was purely for display, only allowing public viewing through glass windows at either end. It became known as the Keel House because the roofline resembled a boat hull. The Keel House was replaced in 1959 by Cuthbert House, another conservatory which also did not allow public access. Cuthbert House was replaced in 1995 by the present Robert Clark conservatory, which allows public access for the first time. Note other details in this photograph, the sprinkler at full bore and the little boy hiding behind the sundial.

Mrs Bon Strange and her husband Bert were well known Ballarat residents. When Mrs Strange died some years ago, her extensive slide collection was sorted through and those relevant to Ballarat were gifted to the Ballarat Library.